Ghetto Fabolous

Each Sunday, Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible. Today, we revisit the New York rapper’s unsuspecting 2001 debut, a breath of fresh air for a city who needed it.

From out of nowhere, Fabolous swooped onto the hip-hop scene in summer 2001 with this big-money debut album and a sure-fire hit ("Can't Deny It").